Diary of Samuel Hedley Hemming Hawkins, 1914-1916 - Part 6

5 April  1915
EASTER MONDAY
BANK HOLIDAY
Embarkation parade. m
March. nearly to Zietoun
station with full kit including
war equipment.
Everything ready to leave.

Kits packed, Two Blankets
handed in (keep one.)
Black kit bags ready to be
sent to base at Alexandria

————————————
twelve bodies. There is a huge cross
with a huge stone book representing
a bible with a verse in Latin.
After leaving here we visited
the obelisk which is a huge
slab of granite about 6 yards 5 ft sq(50ft high)
square at bottom tapering
to about 2 ft square at top & thence
to a point. It has numerous
inscriptions one it but people
do not seem to understand them.
When we visited this district
it was infested by locusts
 

1915  April 6
EASTER TUESDAY
Drill in camp in morning
No parade for our platoon
in afternoon as we go
on guard at 4p.m.
————————————
& natives were busily engaged
in beating tins; clapping hands
to drive these pests onward to
any other farm: When these
pests attack a farm they eat
everything to the ground.
If they even get on a tree they
eat the stalks as the leaves
are used up.
————————

7 April  1915
WEDNESDAY
Drill in Camp or rather
good rest about 200 yds
from Camp.

1915  April 8
THURSDAY
Drill in Camp including
Good Rest.

9 April  1915
FRIDAY
Drill in Camp.
 

1915   April 10
SATURDAY
Inline Picket. Our work was
to be in readiness to do
duty if necessary but
fortunately our services were
not wanted.
Half our Battalion move
out under Major Carter.
to join other Battalion.

11 April  1915
LOW SUNDAY
I AFTER EASTER
Church Parade 9 a.m.
After Church Parade prepare
to leave. Issued with
Emergency Ration also
two days food.
Move off at midnight
12 p.m.

Say Goodbye Freddy
Hockley & Harold
——
 

1915  April 12
MONDAY
Travel over desert &
arrive & board train
at 2.10 a.m. for Alexandria 
& arrive about
noon. Embarked on
board the Australind
at 4 p.m. Good meal &
washing make excellent
welcome

13 April 1915
TUESDAY
Leave Alexandria 3 p.m.
amid cheers from our
French Comrades who
are to follow.

1915  April 14
WEDNESDAY
On guard. The weather
being very rough every
sentry with exception
of 3 out of 24 were sea
sick & could not
be relieved. One can
imagine the mess
on troop decks.

15 April 1915                                                                                         
THURSDAY
Fatigue work filling
clasps with cartridges.

1915 April 16
FRIDAY
Arrive Lemnos where we
find about 60 other transports 
& 11 battleships
from the Dardenelles.
All ships are anchored
in a beautiful & well 
protected bay:

The Queen Elizabeth
is here with the battleships

17 April 1915
SATURDAY
All go ashore in ships boats.
Very beautiful Daisies, cowslips
& clover wherever the eye could
rest. Swimming Parade which 
was glorious being first
swim since we left
Melbourne.
_______________________

Receive news through
our Tommy Comrades of
a Turkish Torpedo boat
which attacked a transport
being sunk.
__________________

1915 April 18 
SUNDAY
2 AFTER EASTER
On Guard guarding
ammunition.
Church Parade.

19 April 1915
MONDAY
Practise disembarking
in pontoons.
Seven Months since
joining army.
 

1915 April 20 
TUESDAY
Practise disembarking.

Any who managed to
get into boats never
returned till nightfall
when they were towed
back. Weather very disturbed.

21 April 1915
WEDNESDAY
Rain Squalls & Rain
all day.

1915 April 22
THURSDAY
No work.

23 April 1915
FRIDAY
No of Transports move
out also a no of
warships leave
harbour. Take fourteen
donkeys on board
which are to be used
to carry water & medical
instruments.

Write home [[Tdo.?]]

1915 April 24
SATURDAY
Leave Lemnos & steam 
for about 10 miles when 
we anchor
Accompanied & Cruisers